Dr Christopher Kintu
Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution
Precision Health University Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Bio
Dr Christopher Kintu is a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI), Queen Mary University of London. His work leverages African data resources to identify novel genetic associations and causal variants, develop polygenic risk scores (PRS), and investigate causal risk factors for non-communicable diseases in global populations. He earned his PhD investigating the predictive utility of PRS for kidney function in African ancestry populations, integrating datasets from global cohorts and continental Africa.
His research interests include Mendelian Randomization, genetic variation in diverse populations, and the genetic architecture of complex traits, with the goal of advancing precision medicine. Christopher has published first-author papers in eBioMedicine and BMC Genomics, and previously served as a Bioinformatics Consultant for the NCD group at MRC/UVRI & LSHTM. He is passionate about scientific mentorship and inspiring the next generation of geneticists.
Selected Publications
Kintu C, Soremekun O, Machipisa T, Mayanja R, Kalyesubula R, Bagaya BS, Jjingo D, Chikowore T, Fatumo S. Meta-analysis of African ancestry genome-wide association studies identified novel locus and validates multiple loci associated with kidney function. BMC genomics. 2023 Aug 29;24(1):496.
Kintu C, Soremekun O, Kamiza AB, Kalungi A, Mayanja R, Kalyesubula R, Bagaya B, Jjingo D, Fabian J, Gill D, Nyirenda M. The causal effects of lipid traits on kidney function in Africans: bidirectional and multivariable Mendelian-randomization study. EBioMedicine. 2023 Apr 1;90.
Chong AH, Kintu C, Cho Y, Fatumo S, Torres J, Smith GD, Gaunt TR, Hemani G. Adjusting for medication status in genome-wide association studies. medRxiv. 2024 Feb 20:2024-02.
Kamiza AB, Toure SM, Vujkovic M, Machipisa T, Soremekun OS, Kintu C, Corpas M, Pirie F, Young E, Gill D, Sandhu MS. Transferability of genetic risk scores in African populations. Nature Medicine. 2022 Jun;28(6):1163-6.
Soremekun O, Karhunen V, He Y, Rajasundaram S, Liu B, Gkatzionis A, Soremekun C, Udosen B, Musa H, Silva S, Kintu C. Lipid traits and type 2 diabetes risk in African ancestry individuals: a Mendelian randomization study. EBioMedicine. 2022 Apr 1;78.